


Sunrise

by Rica_Elakha



Category: Final Fantasy XIV, Stormblood - Fandom
Genre: Ambiguous Warrior of Light, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-28
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-01-06 12:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12211719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rica_Elakha/pseuds/Rica_Elakha
Summary: Sometimes, when your sun fades, another shall rise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this on a whim, let's see what you think. (Also, title may change, was the first thing I came up with.)
> 
> I do not own anything, the whole disclaimer stuff, you know the drill.

Loud.

Your first impression of the Dawn Throne was that it was way too loud. Maybe it only occurred to you as such due to the missing input of visual impressions, but the thought was lost on you. Filled with uncertainty, your fingers grasped the short blades of grass below them as tight as they could.

 

_Mere hours ago, you'd set out with Lyse, Gosetsu and Hien to conquer Bardam's Mettle. A necessary chore, otherwise you wouldn't be able to fight alongside the Mol during the Nadaam. And you had to fight - so that they would be victorious, so that they could assign the Xaela warriors to assist Hien, so that Hien could take bake Doma, so that the battles in Gyr Abania would be -_

_Too much causality. But the gist of it was you being the Warrior of Light and having to help with all your strength. As it would always be._

_It didn’t go that bad, at first. The enemies, monsters and animals of the steppe alike, were no real match for you. Not after all you’d witnessed. You’d made your way deep inside the dungeon, finally arriving at your destination, on the lookout for a Yol… and finally being successful._

_The bird gave you quite a headache, but in the end, you and the others had been victorious. You clearly remembered Lyse’s joyous shouts of victory and the small smile Hien had cracked._

 

And then, everything went **wrong**.

Your fingers grasped the blades of grass with a strength that tore them out.

 

_Lyse had spotted the strange object first, a metallic object embedded in the twigs of a random Yol nest. And Hien had been quick to determine what it was – an old Garlean grenade, no longer in use for years, and it probably had been laying there for as long. But at some point during the battle with the Yol, something had set it off. A malicious light was flashing, going faster and faster… a sight now embedded in your memory, forever._

_Hien had been shouting like a savage, urging all of you to run, turning on his heels as well, but from your position behind the others, you just had to glance back and check-_

_And then it happened. Light, shouts, something grazing your face and pain, mostly pain, there was only **pain** , and more shouts, did you shout…? Gosetsu had carried you outside, you thought so, at least, because back then there was only pain, pain and darkness, and something wet on your face? _

_The only other thing reaching you was Lyse’s panicked voice, almost choking, saying something about a potion they’d apply…_

 

Your now unoccupied fingers grazed across the foreign fabric before your eyes. In the end, the potion had only soothed the pain.

 

_From that point onwards, all of your recollections were based on hearing, although the panic inside you made it impossible to focus. Some other Xaela appeared, special ones, it must be, and they took you prisoner. All of you._

_Only to separate you from the others. Your breath hitched, you couldn’t see, and what was happening, why wouldn’t your eyes just open and tell you?_

_It was way later , when some women started talking to you, soothingly, carefully touching your arm, then your eyes, applying some kind of ointment you could barely feel, that you registered the pity in their voices._

_And then it hit you._

_Your sight would never return. It had been lost in just one moment of carelessness. Your mind went into shutdown then, while the women put a bandage over your now useless eyes._

 

Since then, you’d been waiting. All you knew for now was that you were with a tribe called Oronir, residing at the Dawn Throne, a large structure in the centre of the Azim Steppe you’d seen before. And that you’d never see again. They assured you that the others would be with you shortly, that they were talking to someone they called brother Magnai… their leader, you presumed. But what would it matter? You were prisoners still.

And you, especially, **useless**.

What good was a Warrior of Light which lost their eyes' light?

You refused to let the sob escape your throat, desperately reaching for something to hold onto again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeeaaaah... I REALLY wanna wrote more stuff for my Estinien x WoL mini-series and this happened instead. Don't expect fast updates, but I'll do my best. Also, I do not know yet where this will be going, so y'all are in for a ride.
> 
> On another note, I decided to accept request! Check [my tumblr](http://tactician-pirate.tumblr.com/post/165834862329/requests) for more info!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 kudos, and nothing has really happened so far. You guys are insane. (I love you.)

 „It’s time to wake up.“

 

Lyse’s voice ended your light slumber, and you quickly arose from the ground of the yurt you’d been put into. Well, you were told it was a yurt, at least.

 

With the sleep numbing your mind gone, the feeling of uselessness was quick to spread to your bones. You weren’t even able to get up on your own… light had always been a hint on when to get up, a clue of time, but now, there was only darkness. Darkness and **so much noise.**

It was often said that blind people relied on their other senses, especially hearing, but no one ever mentioned how hard it would be. You weren’t trained to filter the sounds and noises around you and pinpoint certain things, to you; it was all a noisy blur that confused you to no end.

 

After freshening up a bit – it was probably no good, but you refused to ask Lyse for help, you **couldn’t** **–** you were let outside the yurt.

 

Despite not being present when the others talked to the Oronir’s leader, they let you in on the important points – being that you all would be stuck with the tribe for a while. Apparently, to prevent you from going back to the Mol and supporting their ranks during the Nadaam. Not that it would matter now. What would you possibly be able to do, serve as a distraction by tripping uncoordinatedly?

 

Noisy footsteps, talking, shouting… someone was approaching you. Probably. “Those bandages need to be checked.” A gruff voice… you thought you remembered it to be one of the healers from before, Adkiragh – but it could have been a completely different person and you’d have been none the wiser.

 

Hands started touching your face, fingers brushing over your skin… you hated it. You felt vulnerable, dread welling up inside you, all for the simple lack of your sight to show you what was going on. The muttered words, reassuring voices, full of pity and disdain... why would they even bother to care for a burden like you, if you were technically prisoners?

 

The bandage was lifted from your eyes, but the darkness decided to stay. You could feel a soft breeze grazing your eyelids, but that was all. They told you the wound was gone, that you were good to go on without a bandage, but you quietly asked them to place a new one over your useless eyes. You’d blinked a few times, but nothing changed, the feeling of open eyes not seeing anything unsettling you. Keeping the eyes shut with another bandage would help, you thought. Thankfully, they granted you that.

 

It soon became clear that they would put the blind prisoner to use as well. From what you heard, Gosetsu and Hien would be doing some fighting, Lyse was collecting different things outside the Dawn Throne, most likely under close surveillance. And you… they placed you under the care of some women looking after the sheep.

 

You duties were calming, at first – you had to brush the sheep’s wool, to keep it clean and smooth. Handling the brush was no difficult task, and the dirt and knots were easily located by softly tracing the fur with your fingers. Maybe it would help you to improve that sense, at least.

 

The not-so-calming part was the Buduga. You’d learned about their dislike for women in Reunion, but apparently, there was more for them to dislike – blind people, maybe useless people in general, you weren’t sure yet. Their whispers and offenses ghosted around you, and for once, you were glad to be unable to filter all the sounds. The noisy blur comforted you. Maybe even **protected** you.

 

While examining the wool of yet another sheep, your mind wandered to those you left behind. Thancred. Krile. Y’shtola.

 

Y’shtola. She’d been blinded by the aether, hadn’t she? And yet, she still managed. Maybe, after her recovery, she could teach you how to use the aether around you to see… You knew of the price, of your life force being constantly drained by it, speeding up your death, but you didn’t care. For Twelve’s sake, you were the Warrior of Light; you **had** to be able to **fight.**

Dread washed over you once again, filling you with cold. But, if you weren’t able to fight, unable to face the Ascians, the Primals… hell would break lose. You’d let all of Eorzea, maybe even more than that, down, just because you’d made a foolish mistake…

 

A sob escaped your throat, anxiety pulling you in, and your fingers started to cramp. Hiccupped breaths came out irregularly, not really giving you the oxygen you needed. Twelve, you were so **useless** now, being a **disappointment** to all that believed in you.

 

The Buduga around you started to laugh - cruel, malicious laughter fuelling your anxiety even more. Why couldn’t they just go out of their way and k-

 

“What’s there to laugh?”

 

A new voice. One you’d never heard before, you were sure of it. And yet, it was a nice voice, calming, these simple words helping you to grasp reality again…

 

“It’s **them**. Why bother to keep around useless burdens like that? They’d be better off to serve as bait for the hunters, ending their misery as well.” That was one of the Buduga. But surprisingly, their laughter had ceased, although their voices and hisses were still dropping with disdain.

 

“What’s with their eyes?” The new voice again. You tried to take in every syllable, to imagine whoever could call a voice like that their own. No matter who it was, you didn’t care. All that counted right now was the peace you got out of simple words and syllables.

 

“Take off the bandage.” One of the women was fumbling with it, but you didn’t care, had never cared in the first place. The fabric came undone and a gust of air hit your eyes, causing you to blink in reflex before numbly staring into space.

 

Briefly, you wondered how your irises looked like now. Did they still hold the colour you came to know so well all those years? Or did they turn grey, plain and pale? You wouldn’t be able to muster the courage to ask Lyse.

 

Silence ensued. Without sight, it made you panic again – was aught amiss? But then, noises returned and the bandage was returned to your eyes, for whatever reason.

 

“They have their duties to complete. And I believe that with the nearing Nadaam, the Buduga have as well." Sound, steps most likely, became quieter, signalling the leave of the owner of the soothing voice. One of the Oronir, if you read the conversation right.

 

You were so confused, curious, and yet, a lot calmer than you’d been before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never used gender-neutral pronouns before. If I used them wrong, please tell me.  
> Also, feel free to point out mistakes of all kind - English is not my native language and I'd like to erase any mistakes. For the same reason, the quotation marks may seem a bit off, blame my writing program for that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *looks at date* Oh god. I am sorry. I am the worst... I just hit a wall with this and then so much time passed and... sorry.

Days passed. 

You could tell that the Nadaam was drawing near – the noises around you increased, becoming more hectic, and with them, there was a certain unease lingering around.

At least you got used to relying on hearing. Lyse was quite supportive, but at the same time, her support made the nasty feeling in your chest grow stronger. You never needed support before.

There were times at which you were determined to become your old self again, to rekindle the strength that had been there before, and while you honestly tried, the darkness and anxiety – your constant companions since that day – were dimming that resolve with great effort.

One thing that was keeping you sane was the fact that all that noise around you seemed to have calmed down a bit, you being able to filter it better. But it would take a long time until you were would be able to actually get by with it.

Your overall demeanour had become a tad bit more confident again, and yet, you still avoided the Buduga when possible, your missing sight making it really hard to do so. Still, you had to stand your own ground, your companions being occupied otherwise, and the last you would allow to happen was to be grounded by the all-male tribe again.

Tending to the animals had become a daily routine in which you took at least a little pleasure, and doing so never failed to calm your anxious mind. After you had become more confident with coordinating your hands without sight, some of the female Oronir had shown you how to milk the beasts, adding another task for you to do. At this point, you didn’t mind the mundane tasks all that much – what other task could you possibly have completed, being useless like this? At least this meant you weren’t just a dead weight, a very welcoming thought.

“Feeling at ease, my friend?” You weren’t startled when someone spoke to you after learning to always focus on steps of people nearing you, but the familiarity of the voice was a bit surprising. “Hien”, you stated, or maybe asked, you weren’t sure. “I was about to go see one of the elder Oronir, a storyteller named Udutai. The Oronir refer to themselves as children of Azim, but the Xaela are said to be descended from the Dusk Mother, which would mean a relation to Nhaama. The thought would not leave my mind, and I hope to acquire some answers. You simply nodded – even you caught a few words of the Oronir’s belief in their origin and had a curiosity that wanted to be quenched. 

After you were done for the way, you followed Hien, encouraging Hien to speak as you went so you could rely on sound to guide you rather than to be led by the hand. It was a little satisfying, walking by yourself again.

When you sat down on… a mat - or a rug, you weren’t sure, but it was made out of woven fabric, the surface itching a bit when you dug your fingers in to feel more of it – you found yourself listening to the origin myth of the Oronir, but at the same time, you were more entranced with the love story between Nhaama and Azim. Granted, it was not the first time you heard a love story revolving around the motifs of the sun and the moon, but this one felt more tangible, more… important to you. It was bittersweet, the two lovers not being able to be with one another, but Azim’s gift to Nhaama was touching. It also explained why some of the Oronir were acting as if they were a god’s gift to the world – they literally were Azim’s gift to the steppe. After a long time, you felt a smile work its way onto your face again.

But as soon as the storyteller was finished, Hien was summoned by the khan again – which meant that Lyse and Gosetsu had most likely been as well. You followed Hien to the building in the centre of the Dawn Throne, the one in which the khan resided – Lyse tried to describe it to you, but she had had her troubles with out, and you were not really wiser on how it truly looked like.

As soon as you parted with Hien, you sat down on the ground again, grasping stray blades of grass and feeling the earth underneath it. Sometimes it was smooth, than harder when a rock stuck out, as well as rough where the sun shone down mercilessly or occasionally dump. You never paid attention to things like that before, and in a sense, it was fascinating – but then the reason for your newfound attention hit you, and your chest was heavy again.

Disgusted whispers were barely audible, but when you concentrated on it, filtered the other noise until only the whispers were left, you suspected some Buduga to be watching you. Your heart started to beat faster without you noticing it, and you almost panicked.

No. Not this time. They wouldn’t get to you, wouldn’t bother you. You were strong before, so you could be now. Maybe. Head held high, you calmed your breath, now fully conscious of their attention fixated on you.

Distraction would be good. Sleep, even, but you feared what the Buduga would to then. Calmly trying to come up with something to divert your attention, you found your thoughts drifting back to that mysterious Oronir, the calming voice you heard the days before. Even now, merely thinking about it, you felt oddly calm. Why was that? You were sure there was no white magic able to calm down someone with mere words, so you ruled out the possibility that it was one of the scarce healers. There were more warriors among the Oronir, anyway.

Lyse’s voice woke you from your trance, and picking up the mild panic and anger in it, you hurried to stand up and turn towards where the monk must have been. Someone, a guard, was shouting something, but Lyse’s hurried words distracted you from it. “Urgh, this Magnai has some nerve… we did what he asked, and now he tasked Gosetsu with some kind of suicide mission, sending him off to spy on the sworn enemies of the Oronir. And the rest of us? We are to be locked up or something!” You had trouble following her, but when her words reached you, a frown scarred your face. 

“”, a panting voice, maybe a guard, spoke up. That was just like Lyse, to no heed any orders but standing her own ground. Right now, you envied her strength. “And what about them? Are they to be locked up as well?” The Ala Mhigan challenged the guard, and the mere thought of being locked up while being like… this only made your chest hurt more. Touching and feeling the blades of grass, tending to the animals, those were the only thing keeping you sane right now.

“No. They are to come with me.” A new voice appeared, and you froze when you recognised that voice from days ago. Your stomach turned – whether in a good way or a bad, you couldn’t say. 

“But-“ Lyse spoke up, and you chose that moment to be strong again, to not falter. “Do not worry. It will be alright.” Truth be told, you had no idea why you didn’t defy the one telling you what to do, but right now, you weren’t in any place to challenge the Oronir. The following noise was hard to decode, but you heard Lyse’s voice grow quieter. Was she led away?

Silence ensued, and with it, your anxiety resurfaced. “You. Come with me.” Definitely that special voice again, and when your hand was grabbed by the more scaled one of an Au Ra, you almost regretted not asking Lyse about the one that told you to stay with him. Well, it wasn’t a Buduga, at least, and you concentrated on your oddly beating heart and your steps to not trip as you were led by the stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it. Sorry again for the wait - this is why I usually don't do multi-chaptered works.
> 
> Also, the next chapter may also be almost finished and may drop next wednesday... is that a teaser? Who knows.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have it. The chapter containing the first scene I had in mind when coming up with this story, and the one I'm really unsure about.

At first, the stranger’s steps were hasty, almost making you trip, but eventually, they slowed down. You had entered a building – the big one Lyse told you about? – your steps echoing on hard ground you assumed to be made of stone.

All of sudden, the ground seemed to become higher – no, a stairs – but since you had no way of seeing it coming, your foot hit the stone – hard. Subduing a pained groan, you tried to make sense of what was happening – and your stomach dropped. Lyse had told you about a tower in the centre of the building. Your survival instincts kicked in – what if that stranger was a Buduga after all, and would simply resort to throwing you off the tower to get rid of you?

With a blast, the anxiety was back, mocking you for being so careless, reminding you how easily you could be fooled now that your sight was gone, and your throat felt sore again. Really, you were a fool – following a potential deadly stranger just because you were entranced with a voice. Your own naïveté angered you now – how far had the Warrior of Light fallen?

“Oh...” Suddenly, that voice was there again, and your other hand was grasped as well, although a bit tight. Were they – well, not they, the voice was without a doubt male – was he waiting for you to take the steps slowly? Not seeing anything was awkward as well – a certain tension hung in the air, but you couldn’t study a facial expression to distinguish whether you were to say something. For the lack of anything, you allowed the stranger to further lead you up the stairs.

It was… funny, really. Mere seconds ago, you had been convinced that it was far from healthy to follow this stranger, and now, you were completely at easy. Of course, during your travels, you had heard and read enough stories and concepts of love at first sight and soulmates. The first was impossible due to your lack of sight, and the second, you didn’t really believe in. What in the name of the seven hells was happening to you?

Fresh air grazed your face, so you must have made it to the top of that tower then. Stone was replaced by grass and earth again, relieving freedom. There was noise, the sound of flapping wings – and a certain smell you knew. Was this were they kept their Yol? “Come”, the voice interrupted your thoughts, and you were led… somewhere, it was hard to tell. Pressure was applied to your shoulders, and you were told to sit.

Doing so, you immediately pulled your legs to your chest, a reflex you had developed these past few days. Your fingers started to explore the ground again, and you were surprised to find neither earth nor blades of grass, rather… clay? And this form… tiles? A roof? Puzzled, you decided to speak up. “Pray tell, what shall I-“ – “Wait”, the voice interrupted you, and you inwardly groaned. “Well, then. May I ask your name, at least?” Silence ensued, and you were worried to have made a mistake. After a while, the stranger spoke up. “… you do not know who I am?” Disbelief was audible, and you merely nodded while shrugging.

Sounds that were hard to distinguish – was he sitting down next to you? “Very well. I am known as Magnai, one of Azim’s sons, khan of the Oronir tribe.” Your heart skipped a beat. The one you had agreed to be alone with was the very khan Lyse complained about, the one that kept you all here without a proper reason except for fearing the Nadaam might not go to his liking?

You should have been angry with him, enraged even, but there was nothing. This time, you couldn’t hold back the frustrated groan that commented your misery. This khan meant nothing but trouble, and yet, you felt at ease. Was this Hydaelyn’s doing? Any other possible reason escaped you.

“Ah, it begins”, Magnai stated, and before you could question him, he pulled you to stand, hastily undoing the bandage around your eyes. All your flailing and protest was for naught, but you didn’t want the bandage to be gone, you needed it-

“Open your eyes”, he finally stated, demanded. Not heeding his words, you kept your eyes tightly shut at first, refusing to give in. But eventually, you opened them – and your breath hitched.

Light. There was light.

Your sight hadn’t returned, not by a long shot, but there was light, you were able to distinguish light from darkness, and this one was so blinding, so… warm, filling you with sheer joy as if trying to burn out your anxiety.

The sunrise. Magnai must have shown you the sunrise, and it had saved you in a way you didn’t know you needed before. Tears were flowing from your eyes now, and you were unsure whether it was out of joy or your sensitive eyes reacting to the bandage gone.

“… you brought me here to show me the sun”, you addressed the darker spot in your black and white vision, assuming that it must be the khan. “Thank you. Thank you so much!” Your voice broke, and you had to hold back a sob. Not everything was lost. 

But why? Why would the khan do something so utterly kind for a prisoner, given how the Buduga reacted towards you? The voice was directed at the one in question. Before answering, he took your hand in his, and you flinched – out of surprise, or something else? “Is it not the soon that illuminates the moon that lies in darkness?” he asked in return, and you were utterly lost. He let out a loud laugh, almost sounding… relieved? “Finally, after all this time, Azim has led my Nhaama to me!”

Nhaama? Recalling the story the elder told you earlier… he was thinking that you, you of all people, were his fated soulmate? Your mouth opened in protest before shutting again, your heart beating wildly in your chest. Could this explain it? Were you really a soulmate – did you have a soulmate of your own? Was this why you acted like this? “What – I…” you started, and the khan’s grip tightened even more. “You are my moon, as I am your sun – am I not?”

What was happening? Your head was spinning. Did you believe in soulmates? Your former believe was shattering, your every fibre in doubt, but right now, thinking was tiring, thinking was not necessary.

Thinking could come later.

“Yes, you are”, you breathed out, grasping his hand in return as you turned to the light once more.


End file.
